Date of intake:: 1/6/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray ( Unknown History)

Date of assessment:: 1/9/2025

Summary:: 01/23/25: Stella is taken out of her kennel for a handling assessment, she displays high level of anxiety heavy panting and jumping on the handlers. She begins to leash bite and mouth onto the handlers. Due to this a handling assessment is not conducted at this time *01/09/25: Stella displays fearful avoidant behavior when interacting with handlers. Due to this a handling assessment is not conducted at this time.* *01/07/25: Stella was taken to the behavior office for a handling assessment. She started to chuff and look for an exit, showing a low body posture. Stella then hid under the desk. As a result, she was given more time to decompress.*

Summary (5):: 01/28/25: Stella is standing at the front of kennel with a square body and wide dilated eyes as handler approaches. She is leashed with ease and pulls hard, army crawling towards second handler who is just ahead. Stella jumps up towards second handler and is ushered away by first handler. Stella continues to pull hard at the end of lead, zigzagging back and forth in front of handler. As she exits the building, she will jump up attempting to bite the lead and is stiff-armed by handler. She relieves herself and is walked up to the play yard. Stella remains hypervigilant of second handler and pulls hard toward them, so they decide to exit the area in an attempt to allow Stella to settle. Stella remains hypervigilant throughout her time in the yard. She maintains a tense, square body, wide dilated eyes, heavy panting, and red ears throughout. When a dog passes by down on the sidewalk, Stella begins hard barking and growling. On the way back inside, Stella pulls hard, army crawling, and attempts to climb up onto the gate of the ramp to look out onto the sidewalk. She is returned to kennel safely. 01/28/25 (Trainer Note): Stella is at the front of her kennel with a tense body and high flagging tail. Her pupils are dilated and her face is flushed. She is easily leashed and pulls hard to the canine training room. She shows no interest in treats or toys and searches the room for a moment. Stella then turns towards the handler and begins to jump up towards them with a closed mouth. Handler attempts to use treats to redirect but Stella shows no interest. She grabs the leash in her mouth and holds onto it for a moment. The handler begins to move her towards the door and she lets go. Stella pulls hard back to kennel and enters without issue.

Summary (6):: 1/27/25: Stella is at the front of her kennel with a low body, tucked tail and shying away from the kennel door when opened. Stella comes to the door to investigate and sniff the handler and as the handler begins to baby talk her, will wag her tail quickly while maintaining a low body, and dilated pupils. Stella is leashed and immediately pulls hard out of her kennel, jumping onto the handler and door and pulls hard to the behavior office. Stella remains highly anxious during her time in the office, maintaining a loose body but low body with a heavy pant, strained expression, dilated pupils. Stella has trouble settling despite multiple high value treats, enrichment mats and lick toys for her to engage in. Stella will jump on the handler, but when pet begins to tense and freeze and will engage in this behavior with multiple handlers that enter the room. Stella is brought back to kennel with no issue, and Stella is heard whining at the door when the handler leaves. 01/26/25: Stella is lying on her kuranda bed with a neutral frame as handler approaches. She is leashed with ease and pulls mildly out of the room. When passing a staff member, Stella begins pulling hard in their direction and is not easily redirected with treats or toys. She continues to pull backward toward staff member as handler guides her out of the room. Once in the main hallway, Stella begins hard barking at another staff member who is walking behind. She pulls hard in their direction, continuing to bark. Staff member stays back, and handler guides Stella outside. Once around the corner, the same staff member exits the building, and Stella turns around and begins pulling hard in their direction again. Handler squeaks a toy and tosses it to her. Stella is redirected by this for a few seconds before dropping it and jumping up to lightly mouth the lead. Handler tosses treats and she will eat those before moving forward again. Stella spots a dog on the opposite side of the fence line and begins growling and hard barking while pulling in their direction. Handler quickly ushers her forward and once the dog is out of sight, she jumps up lightly biting the lead again. Stella remains hypervigilant to people and other animals throughout her walk and will become tense as she pulls hard in their direction. Once back inside the Care Center, another staff member opens a door to allow Stella and handler to enter the hallway and Stella begins growling, barking, and pulling toward the staff member. She is ushered back to kennel, returning safely. 01/26/25 (staff report): Stella is reported to jump up onto handler and bite at the rope that is around their body. They try to redirect with treats and toys, but she shows no interest, so they take off their rope and allow her to hold onto it as she is returned to kennel.

Summary (7):: 1/24/25: Stella is at the front of the kennel door. She is in a relaxed stance/wagging her tail when approached. When kennel is opened stella is excited and gives handler kisses. She sits when told to be roped. Stella knows the following commands, sit and paw. Stella slightly tugs when walked on a leash. Stella continues to hold her leash in her mouth while on walks. She is starting to learn to leave the leash alone while walking little by little. 1/24/25: Stella is at the front of her kennel door /lowering her body with a tucked tail when /approached, but when the door is open Stella begins to wag her tail and become softer. Stella is removed from kennel and brought into the space outside the kennel room for a handling assessment, Stela maintains a high energy level, begins to mouth handlers and grab onto the assessor's collar that they have in there hands. Due to Stella's repeated attempts to try grabbing onto handlers leashes/items a handling assessment could not be conducted and Stella was returned to kennel. 1/15/25 Stella is sitting neutrally in front of her kennel door. Stella is leashed as she comes forward and is taken outside to the play yard. Stella displays a neutral frame, while trotting beside the handler. They enter the play yard and Stella will appear conflicted, displaying paw raises. Stella will explore the pen cautiously. Stella will collect treats as they are administered and will seek them out throughout the yard. Stella will become aroused as she loosens up overtime, grabbing her leash when the handler picks it up. She will bite up and lunge for the end of the leash where the handler hand was and after, stop entirely. She doesn't attempt to bite the leash throughout their time outside. Stella is returned to the facility where she enters the building and her kennel with no issue. 1/7/25: Stella is laying in the back of her kennel and crouches her head low with a wrinkled face as the handler approaches. The handler kneels in front of her kennel and offers treats to which Stella slowly approaches with a low wagging tail. She is timid when being leashed but allows it. Exiting her kennel, Stella pulls hard while walking to the behavior room for an assessment. Her head is on a swivel as she pins back her ears hearing all the noises in the building. In the room, she paces and fearfully pulls hard while avoiding handlers and flinching with movement or noise. no assessment is done due to her fearfulness. Stella is returned back to her kennel with no issues.

Date of intake:: 1/6/2025

Date of initial:: 1/6/2025

Summary:: backs away from handler, warmed up with time, food motivated

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13)- Due to Stella's fearful behavior we recommend she be placed in a adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner-Stella arrived at the care center as a stray, so her background is unknown. At the center, she shows signs of fear and avoidance around handlers. She flinches at sudden movements or noises and paces anxiously when outside her kennel. Although she allows leashing and accepts treats with a low, wagging tail, her overall behavior indicates high levels of stress and discomfort. Stella needs to be placed with a New Hope partner who can offer her a structured, low-stimulus environment and patient handling.

Potential challenges: : Basic manners/poor impulse control,Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: Basic manners/poor impulse control- Stella jumps up non-stop, indicating a need for training to improve his impulse control and basic manners. Consistent training to teach her to sit or stay when greeting people, using positive reinforcement and redirection, will help manage this behavior. Please see the handout on Basic manners/poor impulse control Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition- During Stella's handling assessment she displayed mouthy behavior. Adopters should use positive reinforcement to reward Stella for gentle interactions and discourage mouthing. When Stella displays mouthy behavior, handlers will calmly redirect her attention to a toy or treat, rewarding her for using these alternatives. Please see the handout on Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition. Anxiety/Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Stella is observed to hard bark at strangers and dogs in the came center. She flinches at sudden movements or noises and paces anxiously when outside her kennel. To help Stella overcome her fearfulness, start with short, positive interactions in a quiet, controlled environment. Gradually introduce her to gentle movements and soft noises, rewarding her with treats and praise for calm behavior. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety and decompression period. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: Stella is observed to hard bark and pull towards dogs while on leash. Leash-biting- When coming out of kennel Stella is reported to leash bite. To reduce Stella leash-biting behavior, use redirection and positive reinforcement. When she starts to bite the leash, distract him with a toy or treat to redirect his attention. Reward her when she stops biting the leash and engages with the toy or focuses on you. Please see the handout on Leash biting.